What Will Happen When Christ Returns?
Throughout this course we have seen that Jesus Christ now reigns as King. He has all authority in heaven and on earth, and His Kingdom continues to grow as the gospel is preached and people submit to His rule.
But His work is not yet complete.
The New Testament looks forward to a day when Christ will return to bring God's plan to its glorious conclusion.
Jesus promised,
"I will come again and receive you to Myself." (John 14:3)
His return will not be hidden or known only to a few.
Jesus said,
"As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." (Matthew 24:27)
When Christ returns, the dead will be raised.
Jesus declared,
"The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth..." (John 5:28-29)
The New Testament does not describe separate resurrections for different groups of people. It speaks of one time when all the dead will hear His voice and rise.
After the resurrection comes the judgment.
Paul wrote,
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Every person will give an account to the Lord.
For those who belong to Christ, that day is not a cause for fear but for hope. Our salvation rests, not in our own goodness, but in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Finally, Paul describes the completion of Christ's reign.
"Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father...For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:24-26)
Notice the order.
Christ is reigning now.
He continues to reign until every enemy has been defeated.
The last enemy is death itself.
Only then does the end come, and the Kingdom is presented to the Father.
The Bible closes with a picture of God's people dwelling forever in His presence.
Sin is gone.
Death is gone.
Sorrow is gone.
God's purpose, begun in Genesis, reaches its perfect fulfillment in the new heaven and the new earth.
That is the hope of every Christian.
The Kingdom that began with the coming of the King will one day be brought to its perfect and eternal completion.
Continue Your Study
What have we learned about the Kingdom of God?
How do the promises, the teaching of Jesus, the preaching of the apostles, and the hope of Christ's return fit together into one beautiful story?
Related Bible Studies
When Did Christ Begin to Reign?
Why Is the Church Called the Kingdom?
The Story of Redemption
Understanding Revelation
Companion Video
What Will Happen When Christ Returns?
Read First. Conclude Later.